Wednesday, August 15, 2012

These days, it seems coconut water is all the rage. Much of
the praise is well deserved. Coconut water (not to be confused with coconut
milk) is the slightly tangy liquid found in the center of a young, green
coconut. It’s a good source of electrolytes, particularly potassium which plays
a critical role in heart and muscle functioning.

Tabi and I guzzled copious amounts of the stuff while cycle
touring in Sri Lanka
last winter. There is no better thirst quencher after a sweaty workout. It’s
also a really great addition to smoothies in lieu of plane-Jane water.

From past posts, you know I love my frozen smoothie cups as
they provide a delicious drink without always needing to pull a dozen or so
ingredients out of the fridge and pantry. Keeping with the tropical theme, I’ve
paired up coconut water with mango and whirled in some cashews for a shot of
healthy fats. If you’re a smoothie fan, these won’t disappoint.

And it’s time for the weekly Muffin Tin Mania giveaway. To
help you get these smoothie cups into your freezer, the kind folks over at ZICO
are happy to provide one of my readers with some their coconut water to enjoy. ZICO
was one of the first companies to deliver coconut water to the North American
masses and their range of flavors never disappoint.

To enter, all you need to do is leave a comment on this blog
post that says “I’m Thirsty for ZICO” along with some way of identifying
yourself such as your initials or name and I will use this online
tool to randomly select a winner. This contest is open to U.S.
residents only. I’ll announce the winner next Wednesday August 22th,
so if you entered write the date down on your calendar and check back in then
for a chance to claim your prize.

Thank you to everyone who entered the contest. Congrats to Sara S who was randomly selected as the winner. Sara, just use the contact button above to send me your shipping details and I will get some of the good stuff from ZICO sent to you.

Coconut Mango Smoothie Cups

1 cup coconut water

2 ripe mango, cubed

1 cup flaked dry coconut

1/2 cup unsalted cashews

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place all of the ingredients in a blender container in the
order listed and blend until smooth. The mixture should be thick.

Divide
mixture among 12 medium sized muffin cups, place trays in freezer and freeze
until solid, about 4 hours.

Unmold
smoothie cups, place them in an airtight container, and return to freezer until
ready to use. If you did not use silicon muffin cups and are having trouble
unmolding the frozen cups, try placing the bottom of the muffin tin in warm
water for few seconds, being careful not to thaw the contents.

When ready to
make a smoothie, place 1 cup coconut water and 2 mango smoothie cups into a
blender container and blend until smooth. For most blenders, its best to
carefully slice the smoothie cups into halves or quarters first before placing
them in the blender container to help make blending easier.

For a richer smoothie, try blending the smoothie cups with some coconut milk.

Thank you to everyone who entered the contest. Congrats to Sara S who was randomly selected as the winner. Sara, just use the contact button above to send me your shipping details and I will get some of the good stuff from ZICO sent to you.